In July, 1299, Edward I. settled the dowers of Margaret the sister, and Isabella the daughter, of the King of France, on the marriages of himself and his son, and, in the places settled on, the latter occur: “Geytington, Eston, Torpeyl, Brikstok, Clyve, and the castle and vill of Rokingham, with its forests, &c.,” and the schedule gives the following interesting particulars of their value:—Geytington, farm of the vill, £48; of the market, 6 marcs, total, £52. Eston, £40. Torpel, £100. Brikstok, with park and wood, £104. 13s. 4d. Clyve, with the forest, £110. 6s. 3d. C. and V. of Rokingham, with forest, &c., £80, being the farm of the castle and seneschalship between Oxon and Stamford bridges. (Mise Roll, 27 Edward I.) Queen Eleanor’s dower settled on her marriage was £4,500 per annum (“Cal. Rot. Chartarum”).
1301, John, son and heir of Richard de Holebroc, was allowed £614. 10s. 6d. for extensive repairs to the castle in his father’s time.
The entries during the reign of Edward II. are also tolerably numerous. 1307–8, Baldwin de Manners became constable on the same terms as Welles, as did Alan la Zouch 1311–12. In the next year Roger de Norwich had the vill of Rockingham and the manor of Little Weldon. 1313, Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, was custos, &c., on the usual terms, and Richard Edward had little Weldon. De Valence himself, or by his deputy, was to provide munition for the castle out of the issues of his custos-ship.
1314–15, the Abbot of Pipewell was allowed 5 acres 3 rods 10 perches, at a perch of 20 feet, for ever, from the king’s waste in the forest, at a rent of 2s. 11d. 1315, the king being lord of the manor of Rockingham, the Saturday market was confirmed. 1319–20, John Gifford, clerk, had a grant of 85 acres 3 rods 9½ perches in the forest in fee at the south side, in Tottenhowe, to be cleared and built upon. Also he has “common” for his animals. 1323–4, beside a number of castles, the vill of Rockingham is committed to Humphrey de Walden and Richard de Iken, and next year to Iken and Richard de Wynfarthing. 1324–5, John de Mosteyn was constable. Edward III. is known to have been at Rockingham four times, and he here tested a score of documents, many of which are diplomatic instruments of great importance, and drawn up with much care. Queen Philippa probably had the castle in settlement on her marriage in 1327, for in 1329 Edward granted her 60 acres in the forest, in aid of the repairs of the castle, then a ruin. William la Zouch was allowed to make a “saltatorium,” or deer-leap, within his manor of Haringworth in the forest, and next year Simon de Drayton had leave to impark Elsdale, Neusdale, and Lappe, containing 60 acres, also Wynescross of 10 acres, the latter outside the forest. Drayton was also constable and seneschal, paying yearly £80. He was of Drayton, now one of the best preserved and charming old manor places in the forest, and which has never been sold or alienated. An order was issued for inquiry into the oppressions done by Robert de Veer while constable, and the Bishop of Lincoln had leave to add 60 acres to his park of Luddington, county Rutland, but within the forest, and to enclose the same within a stone wall. 1335–6, Master William de Nassington had a pardon and fined a marc for “pour presture” and encroachment of 13 acres 3 rods at Kaluhey, occupied by John of Kyngeswood, parson of Hakebourn. 1336–7, Walter de Basley, the king’s clerk, had a grant of two oaks in the forest from the queen, and had taken four, for which he is in prison. John de Verdon, constable, is to release him on bail. Verdon held office by the queen’s grant for life, paying £80 per annum to the king’s consort when alive, and on her death to the king. 1338–9, the king took the homage of Hugh, son and heir of Margery de Nevill, deceased, for 6 acres of arable, one of meadow and pasture, and 20s. rent in Medbourne, held by the service of giving a barbed arrow whenever the king came to the castle.
1339–40, the forest wastes were to be measured; and two years later were to be inquired into in the forests of Rockingham, Salcy, and Whichwood. 1345–6, Thomas Wake of Blisworth had licence to assart 250 acres of land and pasture within the forest for which the præpositus and brethren, chaplain of John Gifford’s Chantry in Cotterstock and their successors are to pay annually 1d. per acre. They also pay a fine of £5. The lands are “nuper arentatis.” 1347, the Lieutenant of the Tower of London is to send ten Scots prisoners to John de Verdon, Constable of Rockingham, or his deputy, Thomas Stone. 1348–9, Simon Simeon has leave to enclose his wood of Grafton in the forest with a little ditch and a low hedge, and five years later he has permission to impark it.
20 Edward III., 1346–7, the king, in aid of the repairs of the castle, “qui noviter dirutus est et prostratus,” grants to the queen 60 acres of wood in his park of Bukelestrode within the forest on lease for her life (Abb. Rot. Orig.). The queen, however, had it not all her own way, for 1356–7 is a memorandum for staying her assarts in the forest. In this year the Abbot of Pipewell has the advowson of Geddington, and is to restore to the king in fee his lands in Benefield.
1371–2, and again in 1375–6, the king confirms the queen’s grant to Walter de Wright of pannage, herbage, dead wood, “copreneo,” brushwood (cablicio), bullrushes (cirpos), and all fallen branches, within the park of Brigstoke, and the bailliewicks of Geddington and Bulay, within the forest of Rockingham, also timber for the park pales for life, at £10 per annum. 1371–2, Henry Mulso has a lease for five years, at £42 per annum, of all the king’s “rentes d’assart” in the forest. 1375–6, Almaric de St. Amand, chivaler, has the castle and fortress at the old rent of £80. 24th August, 1375, the truce of Bruges between England and France was confirmed by Edward, “Don’ a noster chastel de Rockingham.”
In 1381, Sir John de Clyfton claimed to hold the manors of Rockingham and Wymundham by the service of butler at coronations, which service he complains had been usurped by the Earl of Arundel.
The importance of the castle and the exclusive jealousy of encroachment on forest rights were now on the decline. Encroachments were made upon the woodlands both for private parks and for cultivation, and the castle was neglected. The forest offices were, however, still coveted, and continued to be so for some centuries. 1387, Sir William de Thorpe had the bailliewicks of Brikestoke, Gettington, and Bulay for life. 1396, William Brancepath has the charge of the lordship of Rockingham for twelve years at £4. 2s. 1d. At this time it was under the Duchy of Cornwall.
The reign of Henry IV. opens upon Rockingham with a grant of the charge of the park of Clyve for life, and early in that of Henry V. is an appointment of itinerant judges to hear pleas in Rockingham forest.